How Many Attempts Does It Take To End Up in a Diabetic Coma: An Adult Adventure at Food and Wine Festival *completed*

[DouglasE]

(Douglas and Keith on the bus on the way to the Magic Kingdom)​

​

The Journey Begins!​

Practically perfect in every way – that’s how I’d like to remember this journey. It might not have gone that way. But that’s how I’d like to remember it.

I had done my research and my planning, being the plotter and planner that I am. If there was a fault, I’d say I was ambitious. But will a dream become a reality if you don’t dream of it first?

It was Tuesday, October 22, 2019, and we took what was the very first flight of the day from Southwest Airlines at the crack of dawn. Philadelphia was still asleep as we traveled to the airport. Keith had just flown this exact flight two weeks before to see his grandmother. The flight was uneventful until the very end when we had a screaming child directly behind us who refused to stay in the seat. I don’t know what the parents are thinking not buckling him in when we are landing. It is for the child’s safety.

We are on our way on Magical Express to our first stop – Old Key West. Our bus is scheduled to visit Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside and our resort, Port Orleans French Quarter. The bus already was mostly full when we climbed aboard so it wasn’t long before we were underway. Keith wanted a bag on the plane but wanted to store it at Port Orleans French Quarter and go bagless into the park as he did the entire trip.

Do the people staying at Old Key West get off the bus? Heck, no. We must circle around and try again. I actually liked visiting the other resorts. It allowed me to make impressions if I was interested in staying at them in the future. I totally would stay at Old Key West, but I have no interest in staying at Saratoga Springs. It’s just the aesthetics of the resorts – that’s all.



Keith dropped his bag with bell services, and I took a bio break. Before you knew it, we were on a Disney Transportation bus to the Magic Kingdom. When we entered it was a little bit before 11 am, just as I had planned!

Prior to our trip, I had created customized personal touring plans for each day in the parks. I had the ability to design them with the minimum line waiting and the fastest walking. We are brisk city adult walkers and lollygagging doesn’t enter our vocabulary. We both love all types of attractions.



What do you suppose we started with? I was surprised. It was the Tomorrowland WEDway People Mover. It turned out to be great because I have always loved this attraction. It was just what we needed. We were used to temperatures in the 50’s. It would reach 90 today. Bright, sunny, and humid is the weather of the day. Keith already was sweating. Plus, we were dynamos trying to find our way to the most magical place on Earth. This forced me to relax. The cars of the attraction glided through Tomorrowland with a small breeze. It was the perfect overview. On our walk over, we saw the new archway, just a few weeks old, for Tomorrowland. While I liked the simple, clean lines of the design, it lacks scale. It lacks drama. The font needs to be larger; the whole design needs to be larger. I don’t mind the simplicity, but it needs drama. Hello, I am a gay man. Give me drama, thank you.

Touring Plans gives the parks a crowd level rating for each day on a scale of 1-10. 1 being the lightest crowd. The scale is mostly based on line waiting, not as much weight is placed on predictions of actual bodies in the parks. Today in the Magic Kingdom was rated a 1. The crowds surprised me. Based on the amount of people that I saw I would think it was a 3. But no, a 1.

I’ve been in Walt Disney World for only 20 minutes and I’ve concluded there’s a lot of confused, deluded people in this park that don’t know what they are doing. I feel for them. What I was most surprised by was the number of adults who were totally oblivious to their environment. They were completely unaware that suddenly moving at a diagonal you would bump into me. Oblivious that stopping suddenly I would be right behind them and might walk right into their person. Walking with their heads down, paying more attention to their phones than their surroundings. I expected impulsive behavior by children. I really didn’t experience that. My problem was with clueless adults. Not just today in the Magic Kingdom but the entire week in all parks.

Something that is new for me is Instagram at Disney. It has been over 10 years since I’ve visited, and Instagram did not exist. Now, a variety of walls at Walt Disney World have become famous backdrops for Instagram selfies. On this trip, I was on an unexpected scavenger hunt for the walls of Walt Disney World. Last trip I was on a hunt for character meet and greets. Now, its walls. Go figure.
First on my list was the wall that started it all – the purple wall which has expanded to the new galactic purple wall. Throughout my week I was on the hunt for Disney’s best Instagram walls.

NEXT: FastPass+ gets put through its paces​

 

[DouglasE]

​

It was time for our first FastPass+ of the day – Space Mountain! I was surprised at how much I had forgotten and how much theming I enjoyed. I remember a number of trips my hips getting bruised in the ride vehicle because of so much jostling. This time I was perfectly fine. Is it because I weigh more than I ever have before? I remember having a tough go of it as a rail thin teenager. Not this time. This was probably my most enjoyable ride on Space Mountain yet. Space Mountain had just the right amount of excitement. That’s all I could handle today, thank you very much.



Next, it’s a bright, big, beautiful tomorrow because it is a walk on at the Carousel of Progress. There are so few people that we don’t need to go to the end of the row. We have our choice of rows. We decide to sit towards the back and move close to the end just in case more arrive. Nope. Just after sitting we are in the turn of the 20th century. Since this attraction was one of the original Walt Disney World attractions, it was cool to see the technology of early audio animatronics. The Sherman Brothers knew how to create a hook in the music, and it puts a smile on my face and a tap in my step. I was so happy!

Can you believe that I’ve never seen Tom Sawyer Island? Not once! Not even on my first trip as an 8-year-old. I’m a big hiker and explorer. Just wandering around every nook and cranny, every crooked bridge was fun. The refreshments were not available, but I did not have a need. I did take take advantage of refilling my Brita filter water bottle. Whew! It is hot! Thank you, water fountains, but we have to get back on a raft to head back to the mainland.

It’s a FastPass+ window to Splash Mountain. But I forgot I had packed away my flip flops, just for this occasion in my suitcase that Magic Express has at the moment. Splash Mountain is on my top FIVE list of Disney attractions. It has a story, it has music, it has fun characters, great detail, and a little bit of excitement with a drop into the briar patch. It is Disney Imagineering at its best.

Our touring continued with another FastPass+ attraction, Peter Pan’s Flight. Probably why folks gravitate to this attraction and create long lines is the fact that it is appropriate for all ages. Also, its capacity is small even though it loads continuously. After Tom Sawyer’s Island and Splash Mountain, we greatly appreciated the air conditioning of a dark ride. I love the illusion that you are flying in a ship. Plus, Peter Pan is my favorite character. Notice my outfit today?

NEXT: The magic of a name badge and how to get more grey stuff than one person can possibly eat

 

[DLo]

Following along. Looking forward to reading more about your adventures.

 

[DouglasE]

r

Keith on the Tomorrowland People Mover

Tom Sawyer Island

 

[DouglasE]

Time for our 1:55 pm “Be Our Guest” reservation. Keith does IT for a major university. I am not stupid, but we tried to use mobile order for lunch while on Magical Express and did not find it possible. I could have sworn that before our trip I saw that it was possible. But not now. Tiny frustrating considering the wait to get in to order was the longest line we had in Walt Disney World. It wasn’t too bad of a wait, but in my life, I don’t do lines. Not even lines of coke. We had free reign as far as the menu goes because we were on the dining plan. We could have had anything we wanted to eat. We could each have had something different, but this was the first of more than one occasion where we ordered the same thing! I loved the theming. All the recent additions to Walt Disney World in the last 8 years have really upped the game when it comes to detail, immersion, and theming. How cool is it that the armor that line your wait to place an order makes sounds and speaks to you? That just cracks me up. After ordering on a touch pad screen, we were told to wander around the restaurant and sit wherever we would like. We chose the ballroom because it was well lit. The rooms were packed and we had little choice as to tables. We ended up on a 6 top. Soon we were joined by a very nice mother and daughter. We hit it off and were chatting away. Very soon our entire lunch arrived. We each had ordered the French Dip sandwich served on a baguette with au jus and pommes frites (French fries) for $17.49 each. We also had a glass of Simi Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley at $16 each. Dessert was The Master’s Cupcake, a chocolate sponge cake topped with Lumiere’s special, “Grey Stuff”. While the recipe is not known exactly, the grey stuff is probably a combination of white chocolate mousse with chocolate pieces blended in. With the cupcake you get an extra piece of chocolate bark that’s perched on top. And yes, Lumiere is correct, it is delicious. The dessert cost $4.99 and since with fast casual or quick service meals dessert does not come under the dining plan so we had to pay additional.

The Rose Room

The West Wing

The Ballroom

Ratings of restaurants – Scale of 1 – 10; 10 being the best
Ambience 10
Food 8
Price/Value 2
Overall 7

We enjoyed our lunch. It was tasty. I definitely would order it again, especially the cupcake and the wine. Was it worth the price? No, absolutely not. It was way overpriced. If I wasn’t on the dining plan I would have been pissed. That much money for a lunch that was just tasty and not amazing? But you are paying for the overall experience. The theming is just outstanding.
Now for the cast members – everyone we encountered were so friendly and engaging. But one stopped by our table to find out how our lunch was going. Michael was surprised to discover that we were two parties that did not know each other and were willing to share a table. We must have looked like we were having fun sharing stories. By this time, Keith and I had already started having lunch. Another server remarked how guests are reticent to share a table.

Keith thinks the cast members believed that because I was wearing a name badge that was identical to the cast members but with a red background, instead of white, they thought I was a Disney executive. That the red “signified” something with which they were unfamiliar. Next thing you know, Michael brings out plates of Grey Stuff in the shape of Mickey with sprinkles for all four of us. As we are enjoying that, another cast member brings another set of grey stuff to the table for all of us. That’s a lot of chocolate mousse, even for me.

Once we were getting ourselves together, Michael stops by some more and after chatting he offers to take our photograph in the ballroom. He is a former PhotoPass photographer and knows what angle would be best. The result is wonderful. He made us feel like we are royalty, just like the Beast. Part of the name badge situation is you can not get these anymore. I can’t get them form the company I purchased them from. I can’t find them on Etsy, not Ebay, nowhere. I was going to have one made for Keith, but it just wasn’t possible which is why these college program cast members were unfamiliar with it.

The name badge that was such a fuss

The picture that the awesome cast member took. I love it!

NEXT: What is wrong and right with Port Orleans French Quarter

 

[suse66]

So happy to be joining in on your trip report and am loving it already!

What do you suppose we started with? I was surprised. It was the Tomorrowland WEDway People Mover. It turned out to be great because I have always loved this attraction. It was just what we needed. We were used to temperatures in the 50’s. It would reach 90 today. Bright, sunny, and humid is the weather of the day. Keith already was sweating. Plus, we were dynamos trying to find our way to the most magical place on Earth. This forced me to relax. The cars of the attraction glided through Tomorrowland with a small breeze. It was the perfect overview. On our walk over, we saw the new archway, just a few weeks old, for Tomorrowland. While I liked the simple, clean lines of the design, it lacks scale. It lacks drama. The font needs to be larger; the whole design needs to be larger. I don’t mind the simplicity, but it needs drama. Hello, I am a gay man. Give me drama, thank you.

You could not have picked a better ride to start the trip with!

First on my list was the wall that started it all – the purple wall which has expanded to the new galactic purple wall. Throughout my week I was on the hunt for Disney’s best Instagram walls.

I haven't tried pictures at any of the walls yet......next trip!

Something that is new for me is Instagram at Disney. It has been over 10 years since I’ve visited, and Instagram did not exist. Now, a variety of walls at Walt Disney World have become famous backdrops for Instagram selfies. On this trip, I was on an unexpected scavenger hunt for the walls of Walt Disney World. Last trip I was on a hunt for character meet and greets. Now, its walls. Go figure.

I still love M&G's best.

It was time for our first FastPass+ of the day – Space Mountain! I was surprised at how much I had forgotten and how much theming I enjoyed. I remember a number of trips my hips getting bruised in the ride vehicle because of so much jostling. This time I was perfectly fine. Is it because I weigh more than I ever have before? I remember having a tough go of it as a rail thin teenager. Not this time. This was probably my most enjoyable ride on Space Mountain yet. Space Mountain had just the right amount of excitement. That’s all I could handle today, thank you very much.

Glad Space was fun! My last ride on it was my March trip and I don't think I can do it anymore.

Next, it’s a bright, big, beautiful tomorrow because it is a walk on at the Carousel of Progress. There are so few people that we don’t need to go to the end of the row. We have our choice of rows. We decide to sit towards the back and move close to the end just in case more arrive. Nope. Just after sitting we are in the turn of the 20th century. Since this attraction was one of the original Walt Disney World attractions, it was cool to see the technology of early audio animatronics. The Sherman Brothers knew how to create a hook in the music, and it puts a smile on my face and a tap in my step. I was so happy!

Now this is one of my very favourite attractions! Nothing like classic Disney!

Out touring continued with another FastPass+ attraction, Peter Pan’s Flight. Probably why folks gravitate to this attraction and create long lines is the fact that it is appropriate for all ages. Also, its capacity is small even though it loads continuously. After Tom Sawyer’s Island and Splash Mountain, we greatly appreciated the air conditioning of a dark ride. I love the illusion that you are flying in a ship. Plus, Peter Pan is my favorite character. Notice my outfit today?

Awesome Disneybound!!!! I also adore PPF.

We enjoyed our lunch. It was tasty. I definitely would order it again, especially the cupcake and the wine. Was it worth the price? No, absolutely not. It was way overpriced. If I wasn’t on the dining plan I would have been pissed. That much money for a lunch that was just tasty and not amazing? But you are paying for the overall experience. The theming is just outstanding.
Now for the cast members – everyone we encountered were so friendly and engaging. But one stopped by our table to find out how our lunch was going. Michael was surprised to discover that we were two parties that did not know each other and were willing to share a table. We must have looked like we were having fun sharing stories. By this time, Keith and I had already started having lunch. Another server remarked how guests are reticent to share a table.

I love meeting new people and would pretty much talk to a rock so I have no issue sharing tables either.

Once we were getting ourselves together, Michael stops by some more and after chatting he offers to take our photograph in the ballroom. He is a former PhotoPass photographer and knows what angle would be best. The result is wonderful. He made us feel like we are royalty, just like the Beast. Part of the name badge situation is you can not get these anymore. I can’t get them form the company I purchased them from. I can’t find them on Etsy, not Ebay, nowhere. I was going to have one made for Keith, but it just wasn’t possible which is why these college program cast members were unfamiliar with it.

What a great experience with Michael! The picture is wonderful.

 

[DouglasE]

That's me on the People Mover

Be Our Guest Lunch (The bottle water is Keith's; I have a Brita water filter bottle which I can refill without purchasing water)

We end our time with the Enchanted Tiki Birds and the Haunted Mansion. Classic Disney. It isn’t a trip to Walt Disney World if I haven’t had the joys of these two attractions. The host for Tiki bird was the exception that proved the rule. She had such a dull monotone delivery she could have put the audience to sleep. Perhaps, she used to work at Tower of Terror and got into the habit (just kidding). Once again, I loved the full use of the room, but it is obvious that this is early audio animatronics (read with the voice going down three octaves on the word early).

I will always have a fondness for the Haunted Mansion because of the indelible memory of thoroughly enjoying this attraction at the age of eight. It was wonderful not being scared then and it is a marvel of old school Imagineering today.

We did learn an important lesson. We thought all we had to do after the rides Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion was tap our Magic Bands to any button at the wall with all of the pictures displayed. Wrong!!! The picture is connected with a line to a particular button on the wall. Consequently, we ended up with some other folx in our PhotoPass collection for these two rides. Ugh! Learn from our mistakes. Tap your Magic Band to the correct button. I thought Disney had screwed up, no, we did.

 

[DouglasE]

While waiting to order our lunch (around 1 pm), I got the message on my phone that our room at Port Orleans French Quarter (POFQ) was ready. It was time for a break and finally check in. Keith retrieved his carry-on at bell services.

From Bell Services we stopped into the Jackson Square general store to pick up our complimentary rapid refill mugs that came with our Dining Plan. I chose the Mickey Mouse Club design. I’m not really crazy about the illustration. I miss the days when the mugs were resort specific. Also, I prefer them like a tumbler without the handle but those were not available. We each made up our own Arnold Palmer concoction in the Sassagoula Float Works (the quick service restaurant) but getting some light lemonade from the fountain machine and mixing it with unsweetened iced tea. It hit the spot. We needed a little refreshment.

Off we go to our room. I had put in a request for a corner room using online check in and had touringplans.com send an email request for a corner garden room. Corner rooms have two windows and possibly more sunlight. Through touringplans I suggested 1348, 1248, or 1148. Floor level wasn’t so important to me. We are young and can use the exercise. Or at least like Peter Pan I am in denial about my age. We ended up in building 1. Our room is 1339. It is not a corner room. On the inside I did a little harrumph. But I got over it quickly. Keith didn’t care about the corner room. For two it works great. If we were a family of four it might be a little more challenging. We had plenty of space and were happy with our room assignment. The room was tidy enough for me. I didn’t do an extensive dust test because ignorance is bliss. Building 1 is the furthest out from the main building and the pool. I’ve had a very quiet stay with no one disturbing us the whole week. Paying for a garden view was important for me. A view of the parking lot would have taken me out of the Disney magic just a bit. Even though it was the furthest out building on the top floor, it only took five minutes to get from our room to the bus stop.

Port Orleans French Quarter Reception

 

[DouglasE]

Room 1339 Port Orleans French Quarter

Outside our door

One of the best parts of our time was discovering our bags already delivered to our room. The last I had seen them was at check in at the Philadelphia International Airport. I must admit, the control freak in me was slightly worried that I would never see my bag again once out of my hands. But it was wonderful having Disney handle it all. We had a nice lie down in our room.

NEXT: The State of the Epcot

 

[DouglasE]

After our rest in our room it was time to take advantage of our only evening extra, extra magic hours of our trip. For the uninformed, on select days those guests staying on Walt Disney World property gain access to certain parks beyond normal operating hours. For our trip, they anticipated larger than normal crowds due to the opening of Galaxy’s Edge and provided more extra magic hours than before and called them extra, extra magic hours. Today was the only time they offered them in any park in the evening during our stay. It was time to head to Epcot to take advantage of the evening extra, extra magic hours.

It is the Wonderful World of Walls at Epcot and it’s kind of crazy how much is blocked off in Future World. All of the old monoliths are gone. It’s kind of not pretty here at Epcot. They have started the process to convert Future World into a set of new worlds, namely World Discovery, World Celebration, World Nature. World Showcase will essentially remain intact. When finished this will be an extensive transformation of a Disney park.

We started with Spaceship Earth with only a five-minute walk on at the standby line. That’s awesome. I love the smell of Rome burning at this classic Epcot attraction. It’s going to be a few years before I return to Walt Disney World, so this was my last shot at seeing this version of Epcot. They plan to re-do the inside attraction to focus on “storytelling”. The outside exterior will remain the same, but inside it will be much different.

But we’re off to have dinner at Sunshine Seasons inside the Land Pavilion. Thinking of my buddy, Onat, because he is super into seasons. His wedding was even themed around seasons. The one nice thing about Sunshine Seasons is that there are a lot of choices from sandwiches to pizzas to a grill to Asian food. You name it and they have got it. It’s like the food court at your local mall. But that’s what you get here. We had what was like the Asian food I get at my local food court at a mall. Sunshine Seasons was clean, orderly, not busy. It’s fine but nothing to write home about.

Keith had the Mongolian Beef at $13.49 with the Schofferhoffer Grapefruit Hefeweizer, $9.50. Keith says it tasted like grapefruit juice with a little something extra. I had the Sweet and Sour Chicken with Jasmine Rice, $11.59. My drink was an Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider at $8.50. Most of my meals I don’t have alcohol. But we had paid for the Dining Plan that included the alcoholic beverages. We were all about taking advantage to get our money’s worth.

Sunshine Seasons
Ambience 6
Food 5
Price/Value 5
Overall: 5

Next: Taking advantage of Extra, Extra Magic Hours

 

[DouglasE]

All I could think about as we approached “Living on the Land” was ‘Get me as far away from that screaming child’. Luckily, as I’ve said before the children around the park were great and were not an issue. I liked the attraction because it gave me the time to relax, take it easy. It was nice and cool in the evening. I have never seen it before at night, only during the day. It almost seemed like a different attraction to me seeing it in the nighttime. Usually, the sun is streaming in through the glass panes of the pavilion. But just when I thought I was successful with avoiding the screaming child, right behind me one starts to have a melt down at the end. I thought, “those poor parents”. No one wants to have that happen. But Keith and I ran away as fast as we could as far as we could. That one and the one we had on the airplane, I’m done with the under-five set, thank you.

Keith says, “It’s not time for a face lift, yet”…for either of us. Mission: Space made us feel like we were having a face lift. I’m telling you. But we follow directions well and kept our heads back into the headrest. We were on the orange side which spins you around more dramatically. The key to this is you have to play it up. You need to yell out things to your fellow passengers to help the simulation along. Remember, it is a big game that you are playing. If you all are silent during the whole time it just isn’t as fun. “Hit those boosters!”
It’s extra, extra magic hours and everything is basically a walk on. We walked on the Nemo and friends over at the Seas pavilion and rode our clam mobile. We spent a good amount of time exploring the aquarium. It is split up into different sections, so it is a little more digestible and I appreciate that. We saved Turtle Talk for a time when more children would be around. My thought was that it would be more fun for Crush to interact with a good amount of youngin’s.

At the beginning of our day, we were at Tomorrowland and we visited Mickey’s Star Traders. Keith liked going into various merchandise shops throughout the Disney World, but rarely made a purchase. I wasn’t half as keen to enter a shop but ended up purchasing more products than he did. Go figure. So we are in Mickey’s Star Traders and I spot a Loungefly bag that I spotted online before our trip. One thing that I did learn in my research is if you want something, you better get it because you might not have the opportunity to get it again. But there will always be an opportunity to return an item. I don’t know what it is about bags, but I was all about bags on this trip. At least in my mind I was. Then I really had a hankering for all of the Loungefly bags. All is not an exaggeration. They just make great backpacks and I wanted them all. I especially liked a Haunted Mansion one, a R2D2 one, another droid one, a Stitch one, you get the picture. But at Mickey Star Traders I saw a castle one. It was stylized so it could be any of the castles but since I was in Walt Disney World, I’m going to say it is Cinderella’s castle. I learned my lesson and decided to purchase it right then in there. Since I was staying on property I had them ship it back to my resort and I would pick it up the next day.

I also learned a little trick in my research which saved me some money. While at home, I got from Target a red card which I linked to my everyday debit card. Then, once I had the red card, I purchased a number of Disney gift cards. Using the Target red card gave me 5% off of the price of the gift card. Sales tax in FL was 6%. I looked at it as if I had made purchases with no tax. It’s a few dollars but every penny helps, especially at Walt Disney World. Guess what I used to purchase my new Loungefly Castle Backpack? It’s smaller than I would prefer. But it won’t be my everyday bag, so that’s just fine.
Imagination was closed. All that was left for us in Future World was Test Track and I had a FastPass+ to use later in the week so there was no reason to wait in a line. I guess we could have done single rider. But it is now 10 pm and I have had about 3 hours sleep. I just never, ever, get much sleep before departing for Disney World. I’m way too excited and can not get a decent night’s sleep. I fell asleep ok, but I woke up after three hours and my mind just would not rest. Back to POFQ via a Disney bus we go.

NEXT: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, do we make it for rope drop at 6 am?

 

[DouglasE]

What is with the folks at Disney and the colons. They are just not good at naming things lately. Have you seen on Disney+ the new High School Musical: The Musical: The series. I mean, really, the redundancy, repetitiveness, neoplasm. Which reminds me that I saw two of the leads of that show at a music festival in Central Park, Elsie Fest. They were ok. Nothing to write home about. Anyway, back to our story.

We were at the French Quarter bus stop and the bus picked us up at 5:20 am. I had gotten about 3 hours sleep because once again my brain was in overdrive and would not shut down. Ugh! So frustrating! By the time I realized a sleep aid would help, it was too late. I would not be able to enjoy a Disney park feeling like I am under water and just want to desperately lie down. Yes, you heard me right, 5:20 am. What am I doing getting up at this hour? I actually was up and getting ready a half hour before. Keith and I had a routine. I would shower and iron my clothes before hitting the sack and he would shower in the morning. While he was showering, I fixed him a cup of coffee supplied by the room. The bus driver was nice and friendly. I don’t expect super cheerfulness at that hour, but it was if he had been driving for two hours already. He greeted us with a smile and then he did an amazing thing. He kept the lights off. He knew that I’m not fully awake yet. It’s early, early, early times at Disney Hollywood Studios. It was one of those new buses. A new bus smell is like a new car smell, apparently.

We arrived at Disney Hollywood Studios. I made it through bag check. I made it through a first check of my magic band to ensure I qualify to enter for extra, extra magic hours. It’s not terribly crowded at all at Hollywood Studios. It’s about 5:40 am. We’re just waiting to get into Hollywood Studios. We have a second check of my magic band and it is off to Galaxy’s Edge. The vast majority of the crowd veers off to the left to head in that direction and a few people veer right to go to Toy Story Land. Every few paces there are groups of cast members guiding our way and greeting us with smiles. Before you know it we are on the planet of Batuu. Soon after entering we were greeted by storm troopers above us patrolling the environment. It is very dark and it is hard to see all of what the planet has to offer. We all wind our way through a queue to enter Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. Basically, since we were with the first 200 that gained entry into the park it is a walk on. The queue just winds its way through the line established for the attraction. Before you know it, we are given our assignments for being the crew of the Millenium Falcon. We had no time at all to stop at the little area where the original cast would play a version of chess. It was all move, move, move. No time for pictures. Keith and I were assigned the roles of engineers. I was fine with that for my first journey on the Falcon. I would say it was great fun on the attraction. It was a hybrid of Star Tours and Mission Space. I really enjoy both of those, so it works for me. Once again, you have to play along with the experience. The pilots were hearing me shout “Punch it!” Or the gunners would hear me exclaim, “Shoot them down! Now! Do it! Do it”. You need to have fun with the experience. I had a great time. Keith really liked it.

By the time we were finished with our first attraction, it was daylight. We hadn’t eaten. We wandered around a bit exploring Batuu and then it was off to Toy Story Land. I think we explored every nook and cranny of Batuu and took a number of pictures. Next on our agenda was the fairly new Toy Story Land which neither of us had enjoyed. The theming was bright and colorful. There was so much detail. I’m going back to my childhood with the tinker toys and the barrel full of monkeys, the cootie, and everything. Oh, my goodness, it’s crazy! At Swirling Saucers, he was having the time of his life. He was loving it. He had a huge smile on his face the whole time. As soon as it ended, crying. Crying, crying, crying. I don’t know why he was crying. But I was going to go over and say hi he was laughing so much, but I left the scene to his family. I’m not dealing with the crying baby. Nope. Not mine. Slinky Dog Dash was a lot of fun. It was scarier than I imagined. I don’t know how kids could be on that thing. That was kind of scary. That had a lot of ups and downs. Toy Story Mania was fun. I liked the 3D. I really enjoyed actually being able to tell the consequences of your actions. My accuracy was much higher than Keith’s, but he had a higher score, almost doubled mine. I would anticipate that. In our non-Disney lives he is far more active on video games than I am. I hardly ever play at all.

It was time for a breakfast Ronto Wrap. We each had one of those and paid out of pocket since our meal plan, we were saving for all our other meals. My breakfast Ronto wrap was really tasty. I enjoyed it a lot, especially the sauce they used. A Ronto Morning Wrap consists of scrambled eggs, grilled pork sausage, shredded cheese, and peppercorn sauce wrapped in a pita. It cost $12.49. To save money I had a $4.25 bottled water. In order to reduce the number of things I would lug around; I left my water bottle at the room. Keith had the same breakfast sandwich but had some caffeine.

 

[DouglasE]

Don't make me angry

Ronto Roasters

Ambience: 9
Food: 9
Price/Value: 8
Overall: 8.5

NEXT: Thrills beyond Batuu

 

[lvcourtneyy]

Following along!

 

[DouglasE]

Ronto Roasters

Ambience: 9
Food: 9
Price/Value: 8
Overall: 8.5

They were completely out of the rebel jacket that I wanted on Batuu. They didn’t have my size. They didn’t have it anywhere else in Walt Disney World. They didn’t have it online. They simply didn’t have it. How disappointing. Boo! The interaction with characters at Batuu is really great. 2 storm troopers just came up to a young man and asked him what he was doing with his data pad (his cell phone). The guest was in such shock, he could not answer at all. Totally hysterical. The storm troopers continue with ‘We have eyes all around. We are watching you.’ Another time, a character from the Star Wars universe, was being escorted out by storm troopers. Then Rey was lurking about and hiding from storm troopers. Storm troopers were up above and on the look out. They are constantly on patrol here. I almost ran into a patrol. Literally ran into, well, walked into the patrol. Yeah, it’s really crazy here. Keith believes Galaxy’s Edge is so good that it deserves to be not just its own land, but a whole park dedicated to Star Wars. I do not disagree at all. I think Batuu is great, even if you have never seen a Star Wars movie. Because you don’t have to have a frame of reference at all. I think you’d actually be happier if you had no frame of reference. The character interaction makes it far more enjoyable. I hope they don’t try to save money and eliminate all of that.

We decide to leave Batuu and have some thrills with the rest of the Hollywood Studios.

From there we went on to enjoy the traditional Disney Hollywood Studios attractions. The Muppets I will always love and wonder why they have been getting such short shrift in recent years. With each passing year, I believe I become more and more like Stadler and Waldorf. It’s just a matter of time. I think the sense of humor is just timeless. Tower of Terror is one of my top five attractions at Walt Disney World. I’m so happy that we were seated in the first row because I needed to grab onto that bar in front of me. How can someone ride that drop and not have something to cling onto? Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster proved to be the longest wait we had the entire week. We waited all of 15 minutes. It is true I have been spoiled. I don’t know what to do when I go back with line waits being so short. I recall being disappointed the last time I saw Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. When Keith pleaded that we don’t revisit it that sealed its fate. I think it is just dated. Movie making has moved on and has that show changed in 30 years? I’m guessing not. I was totally surprised by Star Tours being totally focused on the new trilogy of Star Wars films. We saw a lot of the new characters. I love any use of motion simulators, so this ride was right up my alley. I had never seen Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It might have been one of my last FastPass+ selections that I made. At the end of booking FastPass+, for whatever reason, I was getting quite anxious about finishing up my choices in a timely manner and I panicked and went with this choice. I didn’t hate it. For adults, it will have some nostalgia value. I love the Menken and Ashman score. Considering this stage show featured the three big hits from the movie, I enjoyed that part. For Little Mermaid super fans, I’m sure they will be happy. For me, I would prefer just watching the original film instead of this abridged show.

 

[DouglasE]

 

[DouglasE]

We had an appointment back on Batuu. Keith wanted to try the signature drink of Galaxy’s Edge and got the Blue Milk. But he got the blue milk with alcohol. Because its Keith. He says, and I agree, it is like a piña colada slushy. That’s kind of what it is like. The main ingredient is rum for the blue milk. The green milk has tequila. You can only get the ones with alcohol at Walt Disney World. At Disneyland they do not have an alcoholic option. It’s basically a boozy tropical kind of concoction. It just looks blue. We don’t know what the blue is. It’s like it is a state secret. The cast members won’t tell you how it is made. We were exploring all that Batuu had to offer, that is for sure.

At noon we had an appointment for Keith to create and purchase his very own light saber. For every customer, they can bring one guest. Prior to entering the metal scrap yard, you are given a choice to review four different themes of light sabers. Keith chose “power and protection”. The whole process is very ceremonial. We are guided through the process by individuals called gatherers. The lead gatherer did her job wonderfully. It was perfectly timed by stirring music and they do a great job at making you excited about creating your own light saber. The one downside is that light sabers are proscribed weapons and you can not have yours visible as you walk around Batuu. You are given a case/sack in which to carry it around. The lightsaber itself is hefty and made of metal, not cheap plastic. You basically choose four different parts to put together to create a unique lightsaber. The light effect is very cool and it glows a specific color that you have chosen. Each color represents a particular attribute. Don’t ask me to repeat what they all mean because frankly I can not recall. I can only tell you that Keith chose a purple one. The only downside of the whole experience is the cost. I, personally, am not willing to fork out $200 for an item that basically will be on display.

 

[DouglasE]

Our lunch was at Docking Bay 7 and Cargo. I used mobile ordering for my quick service meal and had the same reaction that others have. Thank goodness more people aren’t using mobile ordering! By the time I entered the eatery, my meal was ready. I just walked up to the counter and they had it ready. For some reason, Keith opted to go the traditional route. It was close to 3 o’clock so probably less of a crowd, so it wasn’t that long of a wait. But if a restaurant is doing mobile ordering it is a must do. The place is incredibly well themed. We are surrounded by cargo containers, pods, exposed ducts and pipes, we have been transported to a food depot for sure. I had plenty of time to take in my surroundings while I waited for Keith to find me at the table. I was sitting adjacent to the registers and opposite a cargo container acting as seating, so it was easy to find me. I had the smoked Kaadu (Pork ribs), a blueberry corn muffin, and cabbage slaw. I just wasn’t up to alcohol at the moment, given what our upcoming plans were. I just had some water. It’s been a month now and I can not recall what Keith ordered. At the time of our visit was a big bru-ha-ha about how to list food items on the menu. We were at the stage where it depended on whether you ordered via mobile ordering or in person what you saw. I got the original listing of smoked Kaadu. I really had no idea that it was pork ribs. I figured it out as I was eating them. As of today, I believe they have created this hybrid listing of part English, part Aurebesh. I liked the Aurebesh, but I don’t like the lines that most folks would create trying to figure out what to order without English information. Then, can you imagine what it would be for the foreign visitors to Walt Disney World? This meal was incredibly tasty. I was so pleased with it. I am not a fan of blueberries, but the muffin was delicious! I was super happy with my choice. Keith really enjoyed his lunch too. Such a wonderful meal. My lunch was $16.99 for the food and $4.25 for the water, a total of $22.50. The staff was friendly. I enjoy a smile. I could understand everything that they said. At home, a fast food place usually means frequent mumbling.

Docking Bay 7 and Cargo

Ambience: 9
Food: 8
Price/Value: 8
Overall: 8.5

 

[DouglasE]

Popsicle Wall

Somewhere along the way we stopped into some shops and I decided to purchase a baseball cap and a t-shirt. The t-shirt was a classic image of mickey on a blue background and the hat was very classic in navy and grey. It featured Mickey through the years. They were rather pricey but in Walt Disney World, you rather expect that. The total came to $58. I picked it up at Once Upon A Time. It is an art deco themed shop inside what looks to be an old movie theater on Sunset Boulevard.

I wanted to see what the Brown Derby Lounge was like. I have been to the Brown Derby restaurant, but I just wanted another cocktail. But the cocktails at Oga’s are arguably the most expensive on property and are pre-mixed. Our server was Danielle C and she was everything you would want in a server. I wish we could have stayed for a couple of hours because of her. I can’t nail down what exactly she did that was so great. I guess I would some it up with professionalism with friendliness. I greatly enjoyed the Grapefruit Cake Martini - Deep Eddy Ruby Red Grapefruit Vodka, Stoli Vanil Vodka, and a splash of Cream with a Graham Cracker Rim. Keith loved his Absinthe Minded cocktail which had Hendrick’s Gin, Lillet Blanc, Grand Marnier and freshly squeezed Lemon Juice, with a swirl of Absinthe. Both drinks were priced at $14. I feel like we were in a rush. The ambience of the umbrellas over the tables, the great service and the yummy cocktails was perfect. I will be back just like Arnold Schwarzenegger. We made our apologies and made a dash over to Batuu for our Oga’s Cantina reservation.

Brown Derby Lounge - How did I go through my cocktail so quickly?

 

[DouglasE]

We went to Oga’s Cantina where it was a blast. While in line to enter, they give you a menu to peruse. Let’s face it, you don’t want to waste time on decision making when they limit your stay to 45 minutes. I didn’t need a menu. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted the Fuzzy Tauntaun with Cîroc Peach Vodka, Bols Peach Schnapps, and Simply Orange® topped with tangerine and pure cane sugar… oh, and some “Buzzz” Foam. This is delicious with plenty of peachyness. The foam is made from a szechuan flower said to contain a natural painkiller. It’s a super weird sensation, but it’s very fun. Note that most of the “buzz” properties reside in the foam, you’ll still get a bit of a tingle from the drink itself. Yes, my mouth was all tingly and numb from this treat. A cast member guides you to where you will stay at Oga’s. Thankfully, we were placed right where I wanted to be right at the bar. All of the drinks are pre-made. It does not have a full bar. So, there are no bottles of any kind. Keith enjoyed the Jet Juice. It has Maker’s Mark Bourbon, Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur and Cedilla Açaí Liqueur is mixed with white grape juice and lemon juice for $14. It is served as a large shot and lives up to its name being the strongest drink at Oga’s. He saw someone else enjoying a different beverage and ended up with a second beverage. Now he wants to look up the recipes of the beverages and recreate them at home. DJ Rex was super fun. We enjoyed the music that was being played. At one point the power goes down, the lights flicker, DJ Rex powered down. The bartenders take some wrenches and bangs on the equipment to get it started again and has the crowd shout some phrase to get things going again. It just was great fun. The bartender was kind of crusty at first but as he warmed up to us it got a lot better. He was playing a role and we enjoyed it. The cantina is super well themed. Thank goodness our plans only accommodated for a 45-minute visit or less. We really enjoyed ourselves. I would say this tied with the Brown Derby Lounge as my favorite during my stay at Walt Disney World.